Surveyor&#39;s band chain



Patented Apr. 19, 1949 SURVEYORS BAND CHAIN Ward H. Bolter, New York, N. Y., assignor to Keuffel & Esser Company, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 22, 1945, Serial No. 595,153

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in surveyors band chains such as those employed for heavy duty chaining in making route surveys for highways and railways, for mining and hydrographic work, and for property and subdivision layouts.

Band chains of this type are usually made of relatively heavy steel strip in order to provide strength and durability. Chains are often used in very rugged country where they must be pulled through woods and fields, through water and over rocks. In the course of chaining operations it is often necessary to leave a chain along a road or in a field or wooded section Where it is difficult to find when a chainman returns to reel it in.

This is particularly true after a band chain has invention is to provide an improved band chain which is constructed in such a way that it is readily identifiable in difficult terrain.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved band chain having a protected identifying means so that the chain will be easily seen.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved band chain construction in which means is included for increasing the durability of the chain and for protecting a readily visible identifying coating on a side of the chain.

Accordingly, an improved feature of the present invention is the provision of a graduated metal band chain, preferably comprising a steel strip of the desired length for the chain having substantially spaced graduations along a side thereof, such for example, for feet, meters, links, or rods, a plurality of relatively narrow longi tudinal depressions in the steel structure which are substantially parallel to each other in the graduated side of the band chain between the graduations, and a readily visible pigmented coating material in the depressions. The provision of the substantially parallel longitudinal depressions in the graduated side of the band chain serves to protect the pigmented coating, such as a white coating, which is readily visible and which forms a contrast with almost any type of terrain. Furthermore, the provision of a pro- 2 tected coating along the chain between the graduations improves the legibility .of the numerals at the graduations.

Another important feature of the present in-- vention is the provision of a metal band chain for heavy duty which has substantially spaced graduations such as are commonly used for feet and meters, and the like, the improved band chain construction comprising a bead extending along each edge of the graduated side of the chain, a longitudinal bead spaced substantially the same distance from each of said edge beads and extending along said side between said spaced graduations, thereby forming a plurality of longitudinal depressions or valleys which are substantially parallel to each other and which extend between the graduations, and a readily visible pigmented coating material or inlay such as a white coating in said longitudinal depresr sions or valleys. A band chain of this construction is not only readily visible but has a weblike structure of alternate longitudinal beads and valleys which has been found to reduce the kinking tendency of the chain. Furthermore, the provision of the relatively narrow longitudinal valleys containing the white or other readily visible coating material increases the durability of the coating because beads or ridges defining the sides of the valleys protect the coating.

It will be readily apparent that when a chain of this construction is drawn through a wooded terrain, it will be extremely difllcult for projecting branchesstumps or rocks to come in contact with the pigmented coating between the longitudinal beads or ridges of the chain.

Furthermore, band chains constructed inaccordance with the features of the present invention, and. which include longitudinal ridges and valleys inward from the edges of the chain,'between the substantially spaced graduations, have a structure which may be regarded as a trussed or reinforced band, which will have substantially the strength and durability of a band having a uniform thickness which includes the height of the ridges.

A preferred band chain constructed in accordance with the present invention includes the alternate longitudinal valleys and ridges in the graduated side of the chain, as referred to above, and preferable also raised numerals at the graduations having a protecting triangular shaped raised island on each side, the island preferably pointing toward or extending substantially to the longitudinal ridge or ridges in the section of the graduated face of the band between the graduations.

The improved band chain of the present invention may be constructed by various procedures or processes such as are described in substantial detail in Patent No. 2,171,504, granted to Keuffel et al., August 29, 1939. As an example, the steel band to be used in making the improved band chain may be processed in such a way as to protect the graduations, numerals, islands, and beads or ridges with an ink material which will resist an etching solution. In other words, the graduations, numerals, islands, and ridges, may be printed on one side of the band, and the back and edges of the band also coated with a material which will resist etching. Thereafter the band is processed with an etching bath to substantially etch the unprotected background of the surface of the band. After the valleys and depressions have been etched into the band chain to the desired depth, it is cleaned, preferably rustproofed, and the valleys between the ridges as well as the etched-out depressions around the graduations, numerals and islands, are filled in or coated with a pigmented coating material, such as a white coating.

The finished band chain will have a graduated side on which the numbers, graduations, ridges or beads and islands will stand out in strong relief against a contrasting background, such as a white background. The length of chain between the graduations will have a distinctive .striped appearance in View of the alternate contrasting substantially parallel valleys and ridges. Various contrasting colors and coating materials may be employed, as described in detail in the above-mentioned patent. Alternate sections of the chain may have diiferent colors, i. e. from zero to ten may be black, from ten to twenty may be red, from twenty to thirty might be white, etc. Alternatively, the first hundred units might be white, the second hundred units black,

the third white and so on. Such color arrangements or changes may be so positioned to indicate positions at which the chain should be supported or to aid the engineer in checking a reading made by a chain-man at a remote point. The

finished chain may include a coating of clear lacquer.

Other features, objects and advantages of the improved band chain construction of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following more detailed description taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of a band chain having a construction in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken plan view of a modified form of band chain construction according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings which show a preferred form of construction, the improved chain comprises a heavy steel band ID of suitable width and thickness for heavy duty chaining. The ends of the band chain are preferably provided with usual loops l2 riveted to the ends of the band I!) over small leaf springs M which prevent the kinking and breaking of the band at the inner end of the loop l2. The graduated side of the steel band l as shown comroller.

prises edge beads or ridges l6 and intermediate beads l8 which are preferably slightly elevated with respect to the adjacent steel surfaces, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. According to the showing of Fig. 1, the beads or ridges it are substantially equally spaced from and parallel to the respective ridges or beads I6. The spaced arrangement of the elevated parallel beads forms a central valley or depression 20 and side valleys 22 in the steel structure of the band.

According to a preferred form of the invention, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the beads or ridges l8 extend substantially the full distance between adjacent graduations, as for example between a graduation 24 at the thirty-nine foot mark and the graduation 26 for the forty-foot mark on the chain. However, the beads or ridges i8 terminate short of these graduations, and the corresponding numerals and triangular-shaped islands 28, surrounded by depressed steel surface area, are provided to protect the numerals and graduations. The islands 28 are elevated with respect to the adjacent depressed steel surface between the beads l6 and they are oriented so that one side of the island is abreast the adjacent numeral at each graduation, while the opposite point of each island is adjacent to the ends of the beads or ridges [8. If desired, the ridges l8 may merge directly into the islands 28 since they are preferably elevated to substantially the same extent. The beads l5 and [8, the islands 28, the graduations such as 24 and 26, as Well as the numerals at these graduations, are preferably at the same level and have similar substantially flat surfaces.

The islands 28 or any elevated extensions of the beads or ridges 22 serve to protect the numerals and graduations from excessive wear when the chain is pulled over rough terrains and in contact with rocks and other objects which would tend to wear away the numerals and graduations.

According to the present invention the depressed steel surfaces of the band chain are covered with a pigmented coating material 30 which is readily visible and which contrasts with the elevated surfaces of the chain. The coating 30 is preferably a pigmented coating composition in a solvent of the type described in the above-mentioned patent and which may be applied to the depressed surfaces of the band chain in various ways, as for example, by passing the chain through a bath of a coating composition, after which any of the composition on the elevated surfaces is removed by means of a scraper or The coating may be applied in various ways in order to provide a completed chain in which the elevated steel surfaces are black and the depressed surfaces have a contrasting color such as white. A coating composition should be provided which will be as flexible as the chain without breaking and which will not peel off or become loosened when exposed to adverse weather and terrain conditions, or when immersed in water.

The ends of the improved band chain are preferably constructed so that the first and last relatively long unit of measurement, such as the first and last foot or meter, is divided into tenths and one-hundredths. Fig. 1, for example, shows a portion of the first foot of the band chain of the present invention divided into tenths and hundredths by graduations 32 and 34, respectively, the measurement beginning to the end of the loop I2. The graduations 32 and 34, as well as the numerals indicating tenths, are elevated to the same level as the marginal beads it, while the remainder 'of'the graduated side of the steel chain is depressed and coated with the coating material 30. The coating 30 in this section of the chain, as well as throughout the entire graduated side of the chain, may completely fill the depressions and valleys to the level of the ridges, but in the preferred construction, the coating is somewhat A modified form'of band chain construction is shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 of the drawings in which the only change from the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is the provision of a band chain 36 having a single intermediate bead or ridge 38 in place of the two intermediate beads [8. In other respects the band chain 35 has the same construction and arrangement as the chain l0 and includes the coating material 36. A band chain of normal width with at least two intermediate beads or ridges is preferred since it has been found in actual practice that somewhat better protection for the coating material is obtained. However, the single intermediate ridge provides a reinforced construction which gives very good protection for the coating material, especially for relatively narrow chains. If desired, the intermediate bead 38 may merge directly into the islands 28.

Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred construction for the end of the band chain beginning with the first relatively long unit of measurement, while Fig. 3 illustrates a similar construction for the final relatively long unit of measurement. The division of the end relatively long unit of measurement into tenths and one-hundredths, makes it possible to take partial chain length measurements without any subtractions, thus greatly reducing the probability of error in such measure-- ments. The end arrangement for the band chain may vary, however, so that the zero point on the chain is more than one long unit of length from i the end of the chain, the main. part of the chain being laid out only in relatively long units of measurement, while the end section is laid out beginning at the zero point in tenths and hundredths, toward the end of the chain for a length equal to a long unit.

The improved band chain of the present invention is one which is not only very legible to read, but one which is readily visible under almost any terrain conditions. of the distinctive side construction and arrangement of alternate contrasting valleys and ridges, or outline and inlay, provides a band chain which is easily straightened by the chainmen, and a band chain in which the intermediate bead or beads provide a flexible rugged construction which has less tendency to kink and break than a solid steel chain of comparable width and thickness.

Various modifications may be made in the intermediate bead and island construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. One, two or more longitudinal beads inward from the edges of the chain may be provided. While the intermediate s beads have been shown as straight and parallel to the rims l6, substantially the same results will be obtained if the beads have the appearance of wavy lines or lines of other shape. Furthermore, the protecting islands adjacent the raised nu- Furthermore, the presence merals may not only be connected directly into the intermediate beads, but the opposite corners may be connected by elevated sections which merge into the rim beads adjacent the numerals. The chain may be made of suitable metals or alloys other than steel.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A graduated metal band chain comprising a metal strip having substantially spaced graduations along a side thereof, a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinal depressions in the metal of said side extending between adjacent spaced graduations, and a readily visible pigmented coating material in said longitudinal depressions.

2. In a surveyors band chain, the major proportion of the length of which is provided with substantially spaced graduation markings on a side of said chain at intervals of feet, meters or other relatively long units of measurement, a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinal depressions in said side extending between adjacent spaced graduation markings, and a readily visible pigmented coating material in said longitudinal depressions.

3. In a surveyors metal band chain, the major proportion of the length of which is provided with substantially spaced graduation markings on a side of said chain at intervals of feet, meters or relatively long units of measurement, a plurality of substantially parallel depressions in the metal of said side of said band chain between adjacent graduation markings, said depressions being bordered by relatively long elevated ridges integral with the metal body of said band chain, and a readily visible contrasting coating in said longitudinal depressions between said ridges.

4. A graduated metal band chain construction provided on a side thereof with substantially spaced graduation markings representing relatively long units of measurement, said graduated side of said chain being provided with a plurality of integral longitudinal beads inward from the edges of the chain and extending between adjacent graduations, and a readily visible coating material between said beads.

5. A graduated metal band chain as defined by claim 4, in which the coating material along alternating predetermined lengths of the chain is of different colors.

6. A graduated metal band chain construction provided on a side with substantially spaced graduation markings representing relatively long units of measurement, said graduated side being provided with an integral bead extending along each edge and along said side intermediate the edges, a readily visible coating material on said side between said beads, alternating predetermined sections of said chain being coated, respectively, with coating materials of different colors.

7. In a metal band chain graduated on one side with markings representing relatively long units of measurement, a design of raised line portions and depressed areas on said side including a longitudinal raised line portion extending along each edge of said side, a raised line portion on said side between said markings and said edge line portions, and a readily visible coating material covering the depressed areas on said side of the band chain.

8. In a metal band chain graduated on one side with markings representing relatively long units of measurement, areas on said side depressed with respect to said markings, islands longitur dinally spaced in both directions from said markings on said side and raised with respect to said areas to at least the extent of said markings, a plurality of longitudinal raised line portions on said side of said chain with depressed area in between, and a readily visible coating material covering said depressed areas and extending around said islands.

9. A band chain which is readily visible under various terrain conditions comprising a metal strip, one side of which has portions raised with respect to other portions thereof, said raised portions on said side including substantially spaced graduation markings along the chain representing a relatively long unit of measurement, a continuous longitudinal ridge extending along each edge of said strip on said side and a longitudinal ridge extending along said side between the graduation markings and in spaced relation to the edge ridges, and a pigmented coating material on the portions of the surface of said side between the ridges adapted to make said chain readily visible. 

